Ernest a



(No Model.)

B. A. KITTELL.

POWDER CASE.

No. 348,525. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

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UNiTno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST A. KITTELL, OF XVATERLOO, IO\VA, ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-EIGHTHS TO BENJAMIN G. BUTTON, TIMOTHY A. KELLOGG, AND \VILLIAM H. HART- MAN, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

POWDER-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,525, dated August 31, 1886,

Application filed May G, 1886. Serial No. 201,371.

(No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Banner A. Krr'rnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at V3.- terloo, in the county of Black Hawk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Powder-Cases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in tooth-powder cases or boxes; and it consists of the peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved tooth-powder case or box with a trough that is located at one end of the box near the removable cover, with an intermediate space or spaces between the sides of the trough and the box, whereby the box can be reversed or turned upside down to allow the powder beneath the trough to descend or fall upon the top, and when the box is again reversed, or caused to assume its proper upright position, a quantity of powder will enter the trough, which will be suflicut for one using to cleanse the teeth. By this means the objectionable practice of introducing the wet tooth-brush into the pew o der, which operation dampens the powder in the box and deteriorates or injures the same and renders it useless, is avoided.

My invention contemplates the provision of an open trough at the open end of a box or 3 5 receptacle for tootlrpowdcr, and a passage or passages leading from the main compartment to the trough, whereby a single movement of the box by the hand will fill the trough, ready access to the trough being provided for by 0 having the latter left open at its upper side, and disposed near the open upper end of the main receptacle or box, all as presently more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 5 a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a powder-case having my improvement applied thereto, the removable cover being in place thereon. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical seetional view taken at right angles to Fi 1. 5o Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the box or case reversed or inverted to illustrate the manner in which the powder is fed from the main chamber of the box or case into the chamber of the supplemental trough or receptacle.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the main ease, receptacle, or box of any ordinary or pre- 6o ferred form or shape or dimensions, and B the tightly-fitting removable cover or top. This cover and the box may be of metal or other material, in which powder is put upon the market, and they may be connected together in any suitable 1nanneras, for instance, by screw-threads, a depending flange and seat, &c.

G designates an auxiliary receptacle or trough, that is arranged across the open mouth a of the main receptacle A. This auxiliary 7o receptacle is formed with or supported upon two of the inelosing-walls of the main receptacle in any suitable manner.

I have shown the box A as rectangular in cross-section, and the auxiliary receptacle or trough secured upon the end walls of the box.

The auxiliary receptacle or trough is pref erably V-shaped in crossseetion; but it can be curved or of any other preferable form, so that the walls thereof lie at an angle to each other to deflect the powder toward the side edges of the trough or the walls of the box to permit the powder to pass into the exit' openings or passages d,which are left between the inelosing-walls of theobox or main receptacle and the sides of the trough, as will be readily seen. The angle formed by the meeting walls of the trough is arranged at or near the middle of the end walls of the'box A, and the open end of the trough is arranged very near the upper 0 edges of the open mouth of the box to enable a brush to readily be inserted into the trough and take up the powder confined therein without injury to the powder confined in the box A.

The size of the trough can readily be varied in manufacturing the device, to regulate the quantity of powder to be used at one time, and the quantity of powder admitted to the trough can be regulated by the length of time the receptacle or box is held in its inverted position.' 10:)

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

I am aware that heretofore it has been proposed to provide a tooth-powder box or case with a shelf or table near its open end, and out of contact with the walls thereof, and having a narrow ledge around the shelf, so that by tipping the box to one side and inverting it a small quantity of tooth-powder will fall upon the shelf and be retained thereon by the narrow ledge, and hence I disclaim this broad generic feature.

In my improved tooth-powdcrbox I employ a trough which comprises two walls arranged at substantially right angles to each other, and at or near the upper open end of thebox. The meeting edges of the trough are arranged at the middle of the box or case, so as to deflect the tooth-powder. that falls thereon to op-- posite sides of the case and the trough itself, and the upper or free edges of the trough are arranged out of contact with the side walls of the receptacle to permit of the free passage of the tooth-power that is deflected thereto by the inclined walls of the trough, the powder passing freely through these spaces or passages and striking the cover, whereby it will fall into the upper open end of the trough when the box is turned to its vertical position again.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is-- A tooth-powder case or box having an open end, and a trough substantially V-shaped in cross-section and secured at its ends directly to two of the inclosing-walls of the box or case, the open end of the trough being arranged a little below the free open end of the box with the upper edges out off contact with the box to form the passages d, and the apex thereof being at the middle of said boxto deflect the powder falling on the trough, when the case is inverted, to both sides of the trough and through the passages d, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST A KITTELL.

Witnesses: J. L. HENDERSON,

R. P. FOWLER. 

